The loading time of web pages is always a hotly discussed topic. It has a direct effect on the performance of a page. This is not only important for the customer experience, Google also uses this data as ranking factors in its search. In addition to clean programming and image optimization, hosting also contributes to the loading time of a page. How you can test the performance of your own site and what you should do for its speed is a topic today.
What is the loading time actually?
If someone enters a URL address into the browser or clicks on a link, it takes some time for the page to build up completely in the browser. A good "PageSpeed", as Google calls this property, is a maximum of 1.5 seconds. Then the page should be usable for the visitor.
The more comprehensive a web project is, the longer the loading time. Media data must then be loaded, pictures and perhaps videos are loaded, which can lead to a noticeable delay in the page load. But it's not just the obvious factors that affect performance, it's also the myriad of processes in the background of a page that can lead to a delay in page load. Be it that too many scripts are executed, the code of the page is not valid or the server on which the page is hosted has only a poor performance to offer. This is usually the case with very cheap web hosts, where many accounts have to share one server.
Why is a fast loading time important?
The loading time is important for the success of a website. On the one hand, the user should have the best possible experience when he calls up the page. He waits only a few seconds until a page has built up. If he does not achieve immediate success here, he is on the pages of a competitor with one click. Even if you run an online shop, a short loading time is important for its success. Anyone who puts items in the shopping cart and then goes to the virtual checkout wants to complete their purchase as quickly as possible. As speed on the web has generally increased, users are spoiled and expect that on every page.
The second aspect is Google, which also notices the loading time of pages and draws conclusions about user-friendliness. Greater usability means greater relevance and thus a better ranking in the search results. Even if the loading time is only one factor for the rating, it should not be disregarded.
How can you determine the loading time of your own page?
There are some tools online with which you can determine the loading time of your own page. Most applications analyse the processes in the background of the page very precisely and make suggestions for improvement on how the loading time of your own page can be accelerated. The following three tools are among the best known and most powerful:
Google Pagespeed Insights
The advantage of Google Pagespeed Insights is that it applies the Google criteria and so you get a good impression of how the page is received by the search engine in terms of performance. The first clue is the rating of the page on a scale of 1 to 100, and most site operators will get a little fright when they see the result for the first time. However, at the same time the tool provides very comprehensive recommendations for action, which provide initial pointers for optimisation. Many of the suggestions can be implemented by yourself, for others you need your webmaster.
The Google tool can be found here: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/
Pingdom Website Speed Test
If you want to know more about it, use the detailed website Speed Test from Pingdom. The test performs an extensive diagnosis and also indicates the loading time exactly in seconds. The classification into a certain performance class and the direct comparison to other websites makes the interpretation of the displayed results easier. However, many of the recommendations for action are only suitable for experienced users.
The Pingdom website speed test can be found here: http://tools.pingdom.com/fpt/
GTmetrix Website Speed and Performance Optimization
The GTmetrix tool also provides a very accurate analysis. It is a professional tool, which also in the free version offers a very detailed analysis and preparation of the determined data. The loading time is given exactly in seconds. However, the technical recommendations require some know-how. If you want to take advantage of the full scope of services, you can use the paid version.
GTmetrix Website Speed and Performance Optimization can be found here: https://gtmetrix.com/.
How can you accelerate your own web presence?
Loading time and web hosting are closely related. That is why a good web hosting provider is one of the most important factors for an optimized loading time. The hoster provides the technical infrastructure that makes a page callable and operable. The website is stored on the server that the host assigns to the customer. This is accessed by the users who call up a page or a shop. Of course, the number of calls differs depending on the page, day and time, so that especially cheap hosters run several of their customer pages on one server. On the one hand, this may be an effective use of resources that makes the low price possible in the first place, but it also holds a lot of dangers. For example, during peak times, the connection can be slow because there are not enough resources for all accounts.
You should also consider the location of the server. The further the connection between the visitor and a website, the more time is needed for data transfer. If you run a German-language website, you should therefore choose a server located in Germany if possible. Another advantage is that all questions that arise can be answered in the native language.
To find the perfect hoster, an internet research is useful. The experiences of other site operators allow exact conclusions about the performance and service of a provider. A change of the hoster is uncomplicated and can be done quickly.
If you want to save even the last possibilities of loading time, you should follow all recommendations for action of one of the mentioned tools. Even if a specialist has to be consulted for this, the effort is worth it in any case. A few milliseconds loading time can make the difference as to which page a customer uses for information or purchases.
